by Calista Skye
The destruction that thing represented was too staggering for Crixael to wrap his mind around. Trillions of sentient lives, easily. And all their descendants, denied ever being born. For what? Entertainment for Benirsheba and her kind.
Destruction and death was all they were. It was all they did. Every time they found a sentient species, they erased it. It was just what they did. While the Earthlings built. And cultivated. And added to. And refined. And lived.
"I meant no humiliation, my queen. I would never want to offend you. Now I see that I have."
The queen cracked the shell of another living being and sucked its contents. The bone that species had added to the daybed was so tiny as to be almost invisible. But it was there. That bowl of eggs was all that remained of their once sprawling civilization.
"Perhaps," the queen said. "Still, I think you must be reminded of where your loyalties should lie. I will confiscate one of your powers. For a while. I think you will have fun finding out which one it is. Now leave."
Crixael bowed and sauntered out of her quarters.
That had been less bad than he had feared.
And through it all, he'd seen the human woman's face in his mind's eye. Her dark eyes so afraid, so large. Her body so feminine and sculpted under her battle suit, with the most feminine hips he had ever seen. Her face so beautiful. Her black hair, her smell. The way she had faced her fear and not cowered in front of him, like so many did. The heat and moisture from her skin when he had touched it to heal her wound – not because it was harmful, but because he had felt a strong need to do something for her.
If she had been here, he would have held on to her, felt her body in his arms, smelled her hair and her skin, made sure she was safe. And then...
The otherworldly beautiful queen Benirsheba, naked and willing, had not been able to arouse him. But just thinking of the human woman and what she might look like under her battle suit made his crotch swell so hard and fast he had to stop and steady himself on a golden wall.
She was so real.
He wanted to see her again.
No.
He must see her again.
8
The sound woke her up. It was a crunching sound that seemed to come from somewhere close.
Her cabin was dark, and she had just pulled her clothes off and dropped them on the floor before she'd passed out.
She heard the soft humming of the spaceship everywhere around her, the comforting sound that meant that everything was in order.
Then she heard the crunching again and she was completely awake. That was definitely coming from inside the room. Crap. Bella must have found some piece of food or another insect and was gnawing on it.
She sat up, reluctant to turn on the light because then it would be hard to get back to sleep. There was a little bit of light. Were those stars? She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
"What the fuck?!" she yelped and bounced to her feet on the bed, pushing herself into the corner to get away.
There was someone sitting on the floor in her cabin. A young man with a bare chest and black, shimmery pants on, just sitting there with crossed legs and calmly looking at her, his head slightly tilted to the side.
It was him. The Ethereal.
Dani felt hard, cold fear explode in her body, and she reflexively drew breath to scream.
"They won't hear you," the Ethereal said casually with his deep and melodious voice. "But you can try. Some like to hear humans scream. Me, I can take it or leave it."
He raised his hand to his mouth, and there was the crunching sound again. Now she saw what it was: he was gnawing on a bone.
She suddenly noticed that she was completely naked, and she hurriedly grabbed the sheet and pulled it up in front of her up to her neck.
"What the fuck do you want?" she seethed, and she couldn't stop her voice from trembling. If he got any funny ideas at all...
"That's what puzzles me too," he said slowly. "Or rather, why do I want what I want?"
Dani glanced to the opposite corner. She could see her sword there, the special one that was made specifically to kill Ethereals. It was only a few feet away. But it might as well be on Mars for all the good it would do her.
He followed her gaze, then reached out, got the sword and tossed it easily onto the bed next to her. "You don't need it," he said. "Didn't I show you my blood? It's red. That sword is iron, because it's the only material that will hurt an Ethereal. But I already have iron in me. That's why my blood is as red as yours. You can kill me with anything. Including the sword."
The fear made her breathe hard, and her heart was racing. That was an actual monster in her cabin.
She bent down and got her sword. It was too heavy for her to use properly, because it required the strength of her exoskeleton. If she had that, she would feel safer. Heck, even wearing panties would make her feel better.
Bella the alien cat was standing on the floor next to the bed, and she was looking at the Ethereal with some interest. But she wasn't displaying any signs of fear. And she was not a brave feline.
"I see your fear," he said, "and I feel deep in me that it is unpleasant for you, that it sets your body in readiness for disaster. No disaster will befall you, Princess Danai'a. I will not harm you."
"Tell that to the Moon colony," she managed. Shit. There was no way she could swing the sword if he tried something. But she would be able to keep him at sword's length. That guy was probably twice her weight. And all muscle.
"Yes," the Ethereal said, "I am aware that Denibael did unspeakable things. I have not yet done those things. I don't think I ever will."
His voice was so earnest that she didn't see a reason to doubt him. But that didn't mean much. "How do you know my name?"
"We all know your name, Princess Danai'a. None of your kind knows mine. It's Crixael."
She felt some anger and defiance rise in her, and it felt much better than the pure fear. Thank the spirits for her Braxian warrior blood. "Uh-huh. How about you leave me the hell alone?"
"I don't think that would be productive. And frankly, I don't want to. You are in no danger. I have brought no weapons, as you see."
It was true. The staff he had used to kill the Vlon was nowhere in sight. But Ethereals could kill without the need for weapons. Probably. Couldn't they?
His calm manner was working, and he had given her the sword. She felt herself relax just a little. "You know, if you were to hand me some clothes, we would be on an equal footing. Right there on the floor. Those pants. And the shirt. Then turn around while I put them on."
The Ethereal nodded. "Indeed we should be on an equal footing. I don't want you to feel at a disadvantage."
He got easily to his feet, and despite herself, Dani had to admire those muscles and that confidence he showed with every move.
Then she gasped as he easily slid his own black pants down and stood naked on her floor.
He was no less spectacular without his pants. His legs were thick with muscle, and the thighs practically swelled with power. His abdomen had the classic checkerboard of hard muscle, and further down two creases of muscles dived down towards the most spectacular manhood she had ever seen, in real life or in any kind of video that most Space Marines enjoyed in lonely times among the stars. It stood proudly skywards as he walked over to her bunk and sat down on the end furthest from her.
He looked innocently up at her. "Better now?"
"Hey, what-" she said, then didn't know how to continue that sentence. It was obvious what he was doing. He was making himself vulnerable in a remarkable display of confidence.
And it worked, too. The anger subsided as fast as it had arrived, and now her fear was quickly being turned into arousal. She'd been pretty turned on all evening since the battle, and now, with that unbelievably hot Ethereal in her room, her body had an opinion all of its own.
For a moment the half-dark room spun around her. Everyone knew that the Ethereals were the worst aliens mankind had ever encountered. The
y were genuine monsters, truly evil. And they were different from other monsters and boogeymen because they were real. And because they could return at any moment. They were always present in the collective thoughts of society, but they were rarely spoken about. And then only in hushed tones, as if just mentioning them could get their attention and bring them into existence. They would smile pleasantly while laying waste to whole civilizations, charm everyone while abducting thousands of innocent people to be used as provisions for their journey to the next civilization they would destroy.
And here was one of them in her cabin.
What if he were as harmless as he seemed? Bella certainly seemed to have no problem with him, and she was now curled up again and twirling one tail calmly in the air above her.
She felt his scent again, too. Clean, dry, spicy, manly.
She kept watching him, then slowly sat back down on the bed. If nothing else, she might be able to get some intel from this guy, something that might give Space Force an advantage or a clue about how to beat the Ethereals.
He gestured to the door. "You can leave anytime you want. Or you can ask me to leave. I will go if you want that."
No, her body screamed. She didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay. She was still scared of him, but she was also attracted. Like she had never been to anyone before. Not ever in her life had she met anyone like this. But she had to play it cool and not lose sight of what he was. Ethereal. The Arch Enemy. He scared her to the depths of her soul. And he attracted her just as much.
Oh gods. Was she going insane?
"What do you want from me?"
"I don't know," he said earnestly. "I thought I wanted you to respect me. But that word seems too weak now. Much too weak. I don't want your fear, because I do have that and it does nothing for me. What else is there?"
She shook her head. "What else is there? There's a lot. Well, why do you want whatever it is you want?"
Crixael shrugged. "Why does anyone want anything? To feel good, perhaps. To feel at one with the universe. To feel... alive?"
She glanced at his erect cock, and she saw it twitch. Gods, what would it feel like? Would it be so bad if she...
"You want me to respect you so you can feel alive?"
He frowned and shook his head. "No, no. No, respect isn't it. I want more from you. What's more than respect?"
His eyes glittered, but there was a genuine question in them, too.
"More than respect? And you don't mean fear? Do you mean friendship? Affection?"
He looked past her. "Yes... good things, both. Affection. Yes. And yet..."
"Is it love you're talking about? You want me to love you? So you'll feel alive?"
He nodded. "That could be it. Love. It sounds right. I'm not sure I fully grasp its full meaning. Feel alive, yes. But that's what we humans do, isn't it? We live."
"'We' humans? You are an Ethereal, right?"
"Yes, yes. Partly. One half, approximately. The other part is... well, you know. That other one. Same as you."
"Human? That's where the red blood comes in?"
He shrugged again. "I suppose that makes sense."
"Where do you come from? Are you going to- I mean, are the Ethereals coming here again?"
He adjusted his position and sat down a little closer to her. She grasped the sword a little harder, and new tingles teased her sex.
"Who knows?" he said. "That's not for me to say. Not my decision. They might and they might not. I think it depends a lot on you."
His voice was silky smooth and so very beautiful. His face radiated health and youth and strength.
"On me?" She hadn't really been listening.
"On you, Princess Danai'a of Brax. And on whether or not you'll love me." He leaned over and slowly peeled back the sheet that covered her nakedness, and she didn't mind it. On the contrary. The cool air on her naked body felt good, and his eyes on her felt even better.
"Why should I love you?"
"That's what I'm asking you. Tell me."
She could see his cock throbbing, she could feel the heat in her own sex. Not just the sex, either – her whole body was warm and tingly with both post-battle relief and horniness and an arousal that was all his doing. And the champagne.
He was lethal. But she also wanted him close. Inside.
He was closer now, but she didn't know how it had happened. She could feel the heat from him, like from any other man. His dry, clean scent was very powerful now.
She looked into the stars in his eyes. She never wanted to look away. "Why me?"
"Because you're different. I have met humans. They didn't know who I was. But I met them. And they are nice. Good. Worthy. You are, too. But there's more to you. You... intrigue me."
She reached out one hand and touched his chest, half expecting it to pass through his body or to feel coldness or an electric spark. But his skin was warm, and the muscle was hard and soft at the same time. He felt like any man she'd known.
She breathed in his scent again, and her head swam.
He moved closer and she realized, in a half daze, that she was spreading for him. She could smell her own arousal in the air, mixed with his alien scent, and it was right.
His face was over her and she held on to his hard, muscled body, feeling something smooth and warm slide up the inside of her thigh. She spread more.
The twinkling stars in his eyes kept her attention, and with a delirious spark that set her whole slit in fire, she felt that he was at her entrance. Her mouth fell open and she could hear her own breathing going ragged.
"This is not what I had intended," Crixael said, and there was wonder in his voice. "But it is the only thing I want, now. You don't just intrigue me. There's more. I want all of you. Your thoughts, your dreams, your body. What is going on in my mind?"
He applied pressure, and a whimper escaped her lips as she felt him penetrate her. She was slick all the way inside, and she could hear the squelching when his rock-hard manhood met her juices and pressed its way into her. He was firm, but not uncaring.
Oh gods, she thought as the climax was already building up. This is so fucking dangerous and so fucking crazy. But here she was, and she loved it.
Her whole pelvis was a kaleidoscope of heat and tingles and hard sparks of ecstasy, and it was spreading through her body as he slid all the way into her center and she felt her body stretching and accommodating this being from the hushed tales of darkness.
A lethal being, perhaps. But all man, even so. Only the ever-twinkling stars in his eyes set him apart from other men right now. He growled with each thrust, and there was a rawness in him, a desperate need she had never detected in anyone else.
Except in herself. Right now.
I'm being fucked by a fairy tale monster! That thought sent her over the edge. Not with difficulty like when her partner was a clumsy young man, but soaring effortlessly as her whole body filled with a liquid heat that sent sparks to her mind and she spread even more, lifting her feet above his broad back.
Then she heard Crixael groan, and his thrusts became erratic.
And now the monster is coming, too. Then his voice, so filled with ecstatic wonder she could almost taste it: "You are a mystery!"
She felt him spray inside her, felt the hot seed he was placing inside her in their common ecstasy, and it blended with her ongoing orgasm to send her even further up into orbit, where everything was all soft and unreal. Weightless, wondrous, light. Downright ethereal.
Ah, she thought. That's why.
9
She woke up and he was gone. Because of course he was. He was an Ethereal, after all, and that just made him that much more mysterious. It was as it should be. He was a being forever half in a dream.
She had a moment of doubt. Had he even been there?
Her sword was on the floor where she had dropped it and the bed was extremely rumpled. And she felt the familiar soreness and too-rare heat that she'd usually feel after sex. No matter who he was, she'd needed
that. Gods, she'd needed it.
She stood on the deck and just grinned, something she couldn't ever remember having done so early in the morning. She'd had sex before. But she'd had no freaking idea that it could be like that.
She knew before she even thought about it that she wouldn't tell anyone. This was between the two of them and no one else. He hadn't told her anything of interest, anyway. Not of military interest.
She still had a little pang of guilt. The Ethereals had done so many bad things before, and here she was just spreading her legs for one of them?
Well, Crixael was not a full Ethereal. And he hadn't been here back then.
Still, her mom would hit the ceiling if she knew. She had killed Denibael, the terrible Ethereal king, back when she was just a rookie Space Force lieutenant, and it had made her whole career. And turned her into a queen in the process.
And her father... no, she didn't even want to think about how mighty King Ator'aq would react. The Ethereals had ruined his entire empire and murdered his family. He would just go totally ballistic if he heard. Shit, he might even kill her. She'd seen him angry. Just once. That was enough.
She shoved the thoughts away and got dressed. Today was the disciplinary hearing, and the only thing that was uncertain was exactly what kind of punishment they'd give her.
Her mother was Supreme Commander of Space Force, but that didn't mean Dani would receive any special treatment. No one in the division even knew who she was, and probably the only person on the ship who knew was that Chief of Intelligence, General Tanh. And she was not a part of the panel that would determine Dani's fate.
She hoped she wouldn't get demoted. That might break her mother's heart. For herself, she didn't care much one way or the other. She was not the warrior her family naturally assumed that she was.